Filament shock mounting for lamps



June 20, 1967 G. D. BALDWIN 3,327,110

FILAMENT SHOCK MOUNTING FOR LAMPS Filed May 6, 1965 Fig.4

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INVENTOIC United States Patent 3 327 110 FILAMENT SHOCKMUUNTING FOR LAMPS George D. Baldwin, Jamestown, N.Y., assignor to Truck- Lite (30., inc, a corporation of New York Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,780 11 Claims. (Cl. 240-90) This invention relates to a new and useful lamp assembly particularly suited for vehicle mounting.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle mounted lamp assembly which successively copes with the problem of filament failure because of a repetitive shock loading thereof.

An additional object of the present invention in accord-ance with the foregoing object, is to provide a shock absorbing mounting for an incandescent lamp bulb of a vehicle mounted lamp assembly which successfully copes of the bulb in all directions so as to minimize the severe impulse forces otherwise applied to the bulb filamerit.

Shock mountings heretofore devised for reducing the shock forces imposed on bulb filaments have involved considerably expensive arrangements from both a manufacturing and installational standpoint. Furthermore, prior shock mountings while effective to a certain degree have not been able to cope with impulse forces applied in certain directions to the lamp assembly. The arrangement of the present invention has therefore overcome all of the aforementioned disadvantages of prior art arrangements both with respect to the degree of effectiveness of the shock mounting and its manufacturing and installational economy.

In accordance with the foregoing objects, the shock mounting of the present invention involves the mounting of a bulb within a receptacle or basket elastically suspended on the lamp reflector. A resilient potting material such as disclosed in prior Patent No. 3,089,951 could be utilized to secure the lamp bulb within the receptacle if an unbased bulb is to be used. The receptacle is also suspended by means of a pair of flexible torque arms which are connected tangentially to the receptacle and are pivotally anchored by pillars projecting from the lamp reflector about fixed, parallel spaced axes disposed on either side of the bulb. Accordingly, the flexible torque arms are pivotally displaceable about the fixed axes so as to accommodate limited linear displacement of the bulb in a direction perpendicular to the fixed supporting axes while the flexible arms themselves are elastically deformable to accommodate displacement of the re ceptacle and the bulb positioned therein in all other directions.

These together with other objects and advantages which Will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the ac- 'companying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a lamp assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

'FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the lamp assembly with the lens cover removed;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view throughout the lamp assembly taken substantially throughout a plane indicated by section line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially throughout a plane indicated by section line 44 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the bulb suspension device associated with the lamp assembly of the present invention.

Patented June 20, 1967 Referring now to the drawings in detail, the lamp assembly shown in FIGURE 1 and generally denoted by reference numeral 10 includes a curved reflector me ber 12 adapted to be securely mounted in any suitable fashion on a vehicle by virtue of which it is subjected to severe impulse forces. A lens cover 14 is sealed to the opened end of the reflector. As more clearly seen in FIGURE 3, the reflector is formed with a rearwardly projecting portion 16 within which a plurality of electrical connector elements 18 are mounted adapted to receive an electrical connecting plug 20 through which electrical connections are established with tungsten filaments 22 enclosed within a conventional incandescent lamp bulb 24.

With continued reference to FIGURE 3, it will be observed that the bulb 24 includes an unbased portion 26 received within a receptacle portion 28 of a suspension device generally referred to by reference numeral 30. The unbased portion of the bulb is secured in position within the receptacle portion by use of a resilient potting material as aforementioned held in a predetermined orientation relative to the reflector 12 in order to emit light through the lens cover 14. The receptacle portion 28 therefore forms a receiving chamber within which the potting material 32 is retained and through which filament leads 34 extend.

The receptacle portion 28 of the suspension device includes an annular wall 36 generally circular in cross section connected to a bottom wall 38 having a central opening 40 through which the exhaust tube portion 26 of the bulb extends. Also projecting radially inwardly from the annular wall 36, are a plurality of equally spaced positioning ribs 42 by means of which the bulb 24 is supported within the receptacle in proper position when being embedded within the potting material 32. Also formed externally of the annular wall 36, are grooved projections 44, 46, and 48 as more clearly seen in FIG- URES 4 and 5. These grooved projections receive the filament leads 34 aforementioned so that they may be firmly held in fixed relation to the receptacle portion 24 of the suspension device and yet be electrically connected through the flexible connectors 50 to the contact elements 18. These flexible connectors 50 are needed in view of the limited movement of the bulb and receptacle portion 28 under the vibratory forces imposed thereon because of the mounting of the relatively rigid reflector 12 on the vehicle.

In order to accommodate limited displacement of the receptacle portion 28 together with the bulb mounted therein, the suspension device 30 includes a pair of resilient torque arms 52 and 54. These arms are connected to the annular wall 36 of the receptacle portion in substantial tangential relation thereto and at locations which are diametrically spaced apart as more clearly seen in FIGURE 4. The arms are also bent so that they may flex in a generally horizontal plane in order to accommodate displacement of the receptacle portion parallel to this plane. It will also be apparent that the tangential connection of the flexible arms to the receptacle portion will accommodate angular displacement of the receptaclepor tion about a vertical axis. It will therefore be apparent that the anchoring of the end tab portions 56 and 58 of the flexible arms on the reflector will suspend the receptacle portion 28 for displacement in all directions parallel to the horizontal plane.

The end tab portions 56 and 58 of the flexible arms are provided with apertures 60 as more clearly shown in FIGURE 5 so that they may be pivotally mounted on the reflector 12 about parallel spaced axes established through forwardly projecting pillars 62 and 64 secured to the reflector as shown in FIGURE 4. The end tab portions will be pivotally connected to the pillars by any suitable means such as the plastic lugs 66 which extend through the aperture 60 and are heat peened in order to retain the flexible arms assembled on the ends of the pillars. Thee pivotal mounting of the flexible arms is sufliciently tight in order to eliminate any excess pivotal freedom yet permit a limited amount of pivotal displacement about the supporting axes established through the pillars. It will therefore be apparent that the flexible arms 52 and 54 will act as a torque suspension for the receptacle portion 28 to which they are connected in order to dampen vertical displacement thereof in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Accordingly, not only may the suspension device accommodate horizontal displacement of the receptacle portion in the horizontal plane because of the flexure of the arms 52 and 54 but will also accommodate vertical displacement of the receptacle portion and tilting thereof because of the limited pivotal displacement of the arms about the supporting axes established through the pillars 62 and 64.

From the foregoing description, the construction and utility of the lamp assembly and in particular the bulb suspension facilities will be apparent. It will therefore be appreciated that the suspension device 30 may be constructed as a one piece member from a suitable material such as plastics or metals or from a composite construction arranged to be readily installed by pivotal support on the pillars 62 and 64 as aforementioned. The bulb 24 when positioned within the receptacle portion 28 and secured in proper position therein will therefore be suspended in such a fashion that impulse forces will be dampened regardless of the direction in which they are imposed on the lamp assembly by virtue of the mounting of the reflector on the vehicle. It will also be apparent that the manufacture and installation of the suspension device as well as the mounting of the bulb therein may be accomplished with substantial economy.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A lamp adapted to be subjected to the vibratory shock loads comprising, a relatively rigid reflector, relatively flexible suspension means having a receptacle portion, a bulb supported by said receptacle portion in a predetermined orientation relative to said reflector, and means pivotally mounting said suspension means between parallel spaced supporting axes fixed relative to the reflector for limited elastic displacement of the receptacle portion in a direction perpendicular to said supporting axes.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said suspension means includes a pair of flexible arms tangentially secured to the receptacle portion for accommodating angular and linear displacement of the receptacle portion between said supporting axes, said arms having end tab portions pivotally connected to said pivotal mounting means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said receptacle portion includes an annular wall to which the flexible arms are connected, a bottom wall connected to the annular wall to form a chamber receiving the bulb, and positioning ribs projecting radially inwardly from the'annular wall for holding the bulb in said predetermined orientation.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said bulb includes an unbased portion received within the receptacle portion and potting material securing the unbased portion to the receptacle portion.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said annular wall of the receptacle portion is provided with external grooves for receiving filament leads extending from the bulb, electrical contacts fixedly mounted by the reflector in spaced relation to the suspension means, and flexible connectors electrically connecting said contacts to the filament leads within the grooves.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said receptacle portion includes an annular wall, a bottom Wall connected to the annular wall to form a chamber receiving the bulb, and positioning ribs projecting radially inwardly from the annular wall for holding the bulb in said predetermined orientation.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said annular wall of the receptacle portion is provided with external grooves for receiving filament leads extending from the bulb, electrical contacts fixedly mounted by the reflector in spaced relation to the suspension means, and flexible connectors electrically connecting said contacts to the filament leads within the grooves. 1

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bulb inludes an unbased portion received within the receptacle portion, and potting material securing the unbased portion to the receptacle portion.

9. The combination of claim-8 wherein said suspension means includes a pair of flexible arms tangentially secured to the receptacle portion for accommodating angular and linear displacement of the receptacle portion between said supporting axes, said arms having end tab portions pivotally connected to said pivotal mounting means.

10. In a lamp having a reflector and a pair of mounting pillars projecting therefrom, a suspension device for mounting a bulb in spaced relation to the reflector comprising, a receptacle portion receiving said bulb in a predetermined orientation relative'to the reflector, a pair of flexible arms tangentially connected to the receptacle portion lfOI accommodating linear displacement thereof in all directions parallel to a horizontal plane, said arms having end portions pivotally connected to the pillars about parallel spaced axes for accommodating displacement of the receptacle portion in a direction perpendicular to said horizontal plane, where-by vibration is dampened in all directions to prevent shock loading of the filament within the bulb.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said bulb includes an unbased portion received within the receptacle portion and potting material securing the unbased portion to the receptacle portion.

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,435,763 11/ 1922 Townsend 240- 1,786,758 12/1930 Larson 240-90 X 2,312,300 2/1943 Baerwald 2407.1 X 2,814,722 11/1957 Diedring 240-90 NORTON ANSI-1BR, Primary Examiner.

C. C. LOGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LAMP ADAPTED TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE VIBRATORY SHOCK LOAD COMPRISING, RELATIVELY RIGID REFLECTOR, RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE SUSPENSION MEANS HAVING A RECEPTACLE PORTION, BLUB SUPPORTED BY SAID RECEPTACLE PORTION IN A PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION RELATIVE TO SAID REFLECTOR, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID SUSPENSION MEANS BETWEEN PARALLEL SPACED SUPPORTING AXES FIXED RELATIVE TO THE REFLECTOR FOR LIMITED ELASTIC DISPLACEMENT OF THE RECEPTACLE PORTION IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SUPPORTING AXES 